Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2003 16:43:24 -0700 From: David Allen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Power Tower Pro 250
I have a Umax 604e 250mhz processor card, but I have been afraid to use it in
my 7300, because I would have to remove the cooling fan attached to the side
of the heatsink in order for it to fit in. I was concerned about potential
cooling problems as a result of that action...
Craig W.
I've used a Umax 250 in an 8600 and a 7600 with the fan removed. (moved as each
was upgraded to G3) No problems and the heat stayed the same as it would with an
OEM 200 (8600) and 132 (7600). It appears that Umax was being over cautious
about heat or the S900 case didn't circulate air as well as the 7600 and 8600
cases.
I haven't examined a Umax 250, but in the case of the Umax 233 PPC604e, the CPU chip used is actually a new revision of the die which was built on a smaller process and generates far less heat than the earlier 200 and 225 MHz chips. Assuming the same is true of the 250 MHz chips would explain why the fan is not really needed. Someone probably decided to add fans thinking, "faster = hotter" without noticing the chips used in the 233 and 250 MHz cards consume about 2/3 the power of the earlier CPU chips.
Perhaps they did the physical design of the card before they knew which build of chips would go on them.
In my original post I should have written that the Umax cards are electrically compatible with the x500 Apple machines. There are a couple of physical fit gotchas. The first is the fan, as noted above. The second can sometimes be the cable connector at the top of the card. The cable connector has three jumpers installed at one end. In Umax's proprietary dual processor configuration, the jumpers would be removed and a cable installed to connect the CPU card to the Secondary CPU card. When the Secondary CPU card is absent those three jumpers are necessary.
However, with careful work, one can remove the cable connector from the CPU card, and just install flush jumper wires to substitute for the three jumpers on the pins at one end. That way you dispose of the cable connector at the top of the card which can interfere with closing the lid on some machines.
Jeff Walther
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